1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a push switch with a locking mechanism, and in particular, relates to a push switch in which an actuator is slid in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the switch is pushed to switch between ON and OFF states.
2. Description of the Related Art
A push switch with a locking mechanism is designed such that when an operating member is pushed to turn on the switch (ON state), the operating member is locked in this state, and when the operating member is again pushed, the locked state is unlocked and the switch is returned to its OFF state. If a long actuation stroke is set, the push switch is often pushed with a relatively large operating force. Regarding the lock mechanism, for example, a heart cam mechanism in which an engagement pin is slid along a heart-shaped cam groove is used. In this kind of push switch, an operating slider integrated with the operating member is supported by a housing such that the slider is slidable in the direction (hereinafter, “push operation direction”) in which the operating member is pushed. Since the actuation stroke of the operating slider is set to long, the amount of protrusion of the operating slider from the housing in the ON state is small and that in the OFF state is large. Moreover, since an action of the operating slider during push operation for the ON state completely differs from that for the OFF state, the ON state and the OFF state can be clearly distinguished from each other visually or based on a sense of operation. Accordingly, such a push switch is widely used as a switch device for temporarily preventing, for example, power windows of an automobile from being opened or closed.
In addition, as a push switch which does not include a lock mechanism and in which an operating slider slides an actuator laterally (in a direction substantially orthogonal to the push operation direction) during push operation to switch between the ON and OFF states, there is known a push switch having a configuration in which fixed contacts are arranged on the inner bottom of a housing receiving the actuator having movable contacts and part of the actuator is slid on a diagonally extending guide surface included in the operating slider (for example, refer to Japanese Examined Utility Model Registration Application Publication No. 59-8267). In this related-art push switch, the operating slider is elastically urged in the direction opposite to the push operation direction by a return spring at all times. When the operating slider is pushed into the housing by a predetermined stroke against the elastic force of the spring, the operating slider moving in the push operation direction laterally drives the actuator, so that the movable contacts come into contact with predetermined fixed contacts. Consequently, an ON signal can be extracted through terminals leading from the fixed contacts to the outside of the housing. Accordingly, if the actuation stroke of this kind of push switch is set to long, the height of the housing can be prevented from increasing. This kind of push switch is used while the housing is mounted on a circuit board and a group of terminals are soldered to a corresponding land. The operating slider of the push switch is disposed orthogonal to the circuit board.
Since the related-art push switch, configured such that the actuator with the movable contact is laterally slid by the operating slider during push operation, is mounted on the circuit board and the group of terminals is soldered to the land, the circuit board directly receives an operating load during push operation. Specifically, the operating load during push operation is applied to a portion of the circuit board on which the housing of the push switch is mounted and on which the terminals are soldered to. Accordingly, when the operating slider of the push switch is pushed by a large operating physical force, the circuit board is deflected, so that a soldered joint may be cracked.
In particular, when this kind of push switch is provided with a lock mechanism, a relatively large operating physical force may be applied to the switch during normal push operation. Accordingly, the risk of cracking the soldered joint on the circuit board due to the operating load is increased. Disadvantageously, the reliability may be forced to decrease.
These and other drawbacks exist.